It was an example of David Cameron's Big Society right on his doorstep – the
local community clubbing together to buy a tent for a man temporarily made
homeless.

But the good deed back fired when the real society intervened and the police took the tent away.

It was later found broken and dumped near waste bins.

Members of the We Are Witney Community Group, a charity in the Oxfordshire town which is part of the Prime Minister's constituency, jumped to the rescue after local man Justin Hicks, was made homeless.

The town's people had been supplementing Mr Hicks' diet and giving him clothes while he slept in a disused and roofless shed as he waits on the local council's housing list.

They then raised £60 to buy him a tent and sleeping bag while he looked for the permanent home.

But just a week later police community support officers took it down after a complaint from the owner of the land.

It was found damaged beyond repair nearby.

Richard MacKenzie, the funder of the community group, said he was furious at the turn of events.

"We got together as a community without any prompting or coercing – we just did it," he said.

"It is an example of Big Society in David Cameron's doorstep.

"It's all been taken away by the police community support officers – people who are meant to support the community not destroy it."

Mr Hicks, who is originally from Witney, became homeless in the summer after a relationship breakdown.

He is on the local council's housing list but has been sleeping rough until a place is found.

He said that he was very grateful to the people of Witney especially Mr MacKenzie who he considered a "brother".

"The tent was warm and it was out of people's way in woodland.

"It was secure my own private space where I could read a book with my torch."

The tent disappeared when Mr Hicks was out walking around the town during the day.

He returned back to the area behind Witney's Windrush Leisure Centre to find the tent gone.

Mr MacKenzie said: "I inquired in the leisure centre (about the tent) as to whether they had any information and was told that the manager authorised two Police Community Support Officers from Witney Police Station to clear Justin's home away.

"Also, if the police had dismantled it then it should have been treated with respect and taken back to the police station so that Justin could have claimed it back.

"What has happened has torn Justin apart and I am extremely worried about him. "

Mr MacKenzie is boycotting the leisure centre and is to make an official complaint to police about the tent's removal.

Inspector Helen Roberts, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police, said: "The police received a call from the Windrush Leisure Centre on Tuesday 10 January regarding a tent that had been pitched on their land behind the centre for a week and the level of rubbish accumulating around it.

"Two Police Community Support Officers from the Witney neighbourhood team attended.

"There were no personal belongings or occupier with the tent and inquiries to find an owner proved negative so it was dismantled and placed at the location for the owner to collect later."

Lesley Sherratt, Head of Housing at West Oxfordshire District Council, urged Mr Hicks to contact them so they could find him a home

"We are happy to do what we can to assist him further and we would like him to contact us."